When Megaupload's founder Kim DotCom's mansion was raided in January, he claimed far too much force was used with unnecessary helicopters circling and elite forces arriving armed to the teeth. Now there's video to prove it.

Released by New Zealand's 3News, the video starts with a helicopter flying over DotCom's compound and landing directly in front of the massive mansion. Four armed officials jump out and run toward the house. As the helicopter takes off, ground forces are seen coming in through the gates.

DotCom's New Zealand home was reportedly worth $30 million. During the raids, which involved 100 officers, police reportedly seized 18 vehicles, including a vintage pink Cadillac, a Lamborghini, a 2010 Maserati, and 2008 Rolls Royce Phantom with a personalized license plate that reads "God." They also got a large amount of digital evidence and $42 million in suspected criminal proceeds.

Federal officials have accused DotCom of pocketing millions of dollars in illegal profits from illegal file sharing and downloading that has reportedly cost the film industry more than $600 million in damages.

As the legal proceedings have carried out the last few months, the raids have come under scrutiny by New Zealand's high court. Much of the video has been used as evidence in the trial, and for the most part corroborates both the police and DotCom's accounts of the day.

In the video, DotCom talked about the day saying that the elite forces used unnecessary force on him.

"Within two seconds, they were there and all over me," he said. "I had a punch to the face, I had boots kicking me down to the floor, I had a knee into my ribs, and then my hands were on the floor and one man was standing on my hand."

In June, the high court ruled that the search warrants issued in January for the raid were invalid. And in July, the judge ruled that DotCom's extradition hearing that proposed his transfer from New Zealand to the U.S. be postponed until 2013 over questions about the legality of evidence seized with the search warrants.

About the author

Dara Kerr is a staff reporter for CNET focused on the sharing economy and tech culture. She grew up in Colorado where she developed an affinity for collecting fool's gold and spirit animals.
See full bio